While looking into what snails you can buy for your fish tank that will not pose a threat to your live plants, I wanted to hear it as first hand as I could. They'll even eat algae off the glass and plants. They sport an attractive black… Assassin snails (Clea Helena) are distinctive in appearance and thus easy to recognize. Some species of apple snails (Pomacea) are voracious herbivores that will decimate a planted aquarium in short order. eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'aquariumgenius_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',112,'0','0'])); To use live plants as food is possible, but would be quite expensive. Shells can be tan or olive with dark stripes, maroon, white, golden yellow or blue. Truth is, all snails are good for our aquariums in one way or another, it’s just that sometimes they do things we do not like or are unprepared for, like eating our plants or overpopulating the tank. Rabbit Snails - Tylomelania zemis. I am pretty sure that that was not the right choice to make, because when I looked again the next day a lot of the plant was gone. But not all freshwater snails eat only plants, some are carnivores – something you’d expect only sea snails to do; some species can even harm you. Another thing that helps is to quickly blanch them in boiling water. The Trumpet Snail (Melanoides tuberculata) Feed them a few times a week and it won't happen. Later, I switched to a tropical community tank and I also have two pet musk-turtles in a bigger aquarium. Always research any new additions before introducing them to your tank. Hi Dave, apple snails do not eat plants unless there is not other food, they prefer soft greens and fruit. You can read more about me here. Reality is that most fish stores carry at least one kind of Anubias, so they are commonly available. The small apple snails were a good snack for my pleco. If you do find yourself owning snails that eat plants, for example the rabbit snail or for example a big canas apple snail, you might want to restock the plants in your tank with something less appetizing for your snail.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'aquariumgenius_com-box-4','ezslot_1',111,'0','0'])); Plants that get eaten by snails often are the softer, more delicate plants that have soft leaves. Important: If you feed vegetables, never let them go bad in your aquarium. As a good rule of thumb, you can have one apple snail per two gallons of water. Just remember that a lot of snails are still a major source of ammonia because they poop a lot, they do not substitute water changes. There were cases when people lost these snails because there was nothing to eat and they still did not show any interest in … They have become popular in the. There are ways of eliminating snails and their eggs which will also be discussed below. Apple Snails are omnivorous and will consume boiled vegetables or commercial pellets/flakes. Many snail eggs are transparent and are often attached to the undersides of plant leaves, making them difficult to see. While chemicals should always be your last resort and should be used with extreme caution, they can and do work. Native to Sulawesi, Indonesia, some species can grow up to 4 inches in length, and they are thought to live up to 3 years. To avoid this happening, take the following precautions: You cannot always eliminate nuisance snails completely, but you can drastically reduce their numbers by doing the following: Some medications contain copper sulfate and other chemicals that are harmful to snails and other invertebrates. a little creepy. What Do Apple Snails Eat? The one thing you need to keep an eye on with these snails is how aggressively they eat plant life. When I looked again the next day an impressive part of my java fern was gone. When To Add Fish To a New Planted Tank (With Special Cycle). When you see apple snails in the aquarium section of the pet store, it is most likely the species Pomacea bridgesii, also known as Pomacea diffusa, or the spike-topped apple snail.When shopping for aquarium snails, it is best to select specimens that are either moving or attached to a surface – never buy a snail with a cracked or … They eat hair algae and are effective cleaners of aquarium glass and driftwood. But, you might say, I’ve never purchased a snail in my life and suddenly they are showing up! Reproduction is slow because females only lay 1 to 4 eggs at a time. aquarium because they eat other snails, making them a natural method for reducing nuisance snail populations. They breed fairly easily, and lay small eggs inside of small cavities or attached to plants. However, these snails do carry with them a huge caveat. Breeding. are fantastic algae eaters that also eat leftover fish food, dead plant matter and other “stuff” that ends up on the bottom. Rabbit snails are another slightly larger species of snail, … They eat algae, detritus and bacteria that form on rocks and the substrate.. Eggs are transparent and difficult to see, hatching out in 8 to 9 weeks, depending on temperature. These snails do not feed on plants but do eat algae. Also, I have been keeping multiple species of snails in my planted tanks. Mystery snails, often sold as Apple snails, usually do not eat live plants, but they will graze algae and biofilm from their leaves and they absolutely eat dead or dying leaves. Other snails I have kept are clea helena (assassin) snails, which I have kept with a wide variety of plants with not problem. To others, they are a loathed scourge that quickly overrun the tank and are close to impossible to get rid of, and to some, they are beautiful creatures that make colorful, interesting pets. Create a natural home for aquarium fish using aquatic plants. Snails naturally feed on algae, dead plant matter and bits of fish food that fall to the bottom, but they can also be fed Aqueon Algae Rounds and Bottom Feeder Tablets. Place Aqueon Algae Rounds, Bottom Feeder Tablets or lettuce leaves in the aquarium, leave them overnight and remove them with the attached snails in the morning! However, this overpopulation can be stemmed by keeping the water temperature around 70-75 degrees on average. More often than not, tiny individuals or eggs sneak in on live plants, rocks, driftwood, ornaments and even gravel transferred from one aquarium to another. Snails can lay eggs multiple times per year. This site is owned and operated by Bart Sprenkels. That is comforting if you like natural methods, but for some folks, seeing that many snails in a tank or watching your gravel actually “move” is, well……. There are cheaper ways to go. How should you prepare the vegetables for your snails? If you keep your aquarium well fed snails will be less likely to munch on your plants. These are very easy to care for snails. Trumpet Snails – These snails have conical shells and they are great at feeding on detritus in the home aquarium. Apple snails will consume debris and algae within the aquarium. Unless they are starving, in which case, they'll eat what they can find. A very good alternative that you want to consider buying is the super robust, hard leaved plant called Anubias. Their two eyes and tentacles should be present, and their operculum should be visible above their foot, near their backside. From my experience, and also from a lot of other fish keepers, most of the times snails prefer algae, leftover fish food and dead leaves over fresh and healthy leaves. In short, one tiny hitch-hiking female is all it takes to get things going, and they are virtually impossible to get rid of once they enter your aquarium. A few shrimp breeders have reported seeing Assassin snails eating their valuable shrimp, but experts believe that this happens very rarely, and the victims are most likely weak or sickly. Some time later the snails spread to Hawaii, South-West Asia and even Florida. Even after rinsing the gravel thoroughly, they can still be alive and well, ready to start reproducing in their new home. To some aquarists, they are valued algae eaters and scavengers that help clean the tank and keep things in balance. Apple Snails will breed in almost all conditions. How quick will snails eat my plants? Egg pods are produced once every 4 to 6 weeks, so their reproductive rate is very slow, even if you have several of them. All the info is in the rest of the article as well! Sadly, they are also the primary culprit for overpopulating an aquarium. Anyone who has been involved with aquarium keeping is probably familiar with snails at one level or another. Nerite Snails. ©2017 Aqueon, a Central Garden & Pet Company, Avoid Introducing Nuisance Snails to Your Aquarium, 11 Questions to Ask Before You Buy New Fish for Your Aquarium, Everything You Need To Know About Filtration, 15 Common Fish Tank Problems and How to Avoid Them, Freshwater Aquarium Disease Prevention, Recognition and Treatment, Beneficial Bacteria In Your Aquarium – The What, The Why and The How. Plus, they won’t eat your plants. Many love to eat plants, and are considered pests to crops and submerged aquatic vegetation. Red Ramshorn snails can be netted from the surface when they come up to breathe. There are several theories about how Mystery snails got their name, but a popular one is that when they were first introduced into the hobby, no one knew what kind of snail they were; it was a mystery. CreatureQueen Active Member. I know they eat snails, but would they really go after one that is as big as they are? Unlike most aquarium snails, which are largely herbivorous or at least omnivorous, Assassin snails are carnivores, feeding largely on other snails or carrion. This makes them softer for your snails to eat. Most snails that hitchhike into your aquarium (and often considered pest snails) do not eat healthy leaves. Came from the river Amazon where it inhabits all along the river. My snails did eat all of my hornwort and duckweed though. I will provide a list with snails that do not eat live plants. Feed sparingly and remove uneaten food to avoid water quality problems. Very handful of them is carnivores. He has to live in a tank with fake plants along with my second cana apple snail. Messages 142 Reaction score 69 Experience 4 years I have not seen any gnawed leaves recover from the holes the snails ate in them. Crush a few snails at a time and let your fish eat them! I have also never caught my ramshorn snails eating healthy live plants. Malaysian Trumpet snails are often transferred in used gravel intended to help start the biological cycle in a new aquarium, but they can come in on rocks, plants, driftwood and decorations, as well. Aquarium snails are generally Freshwater snails. There is a tendency to categorize aquarium snails as “good” or “bad”. If you are unsure of its origin or there are nuisance snails in the tank it came from, do not put it in your aquarium! The fact they are 'on' a leaf that is alive and healthy does not mean they are eating it. Anubias comes in a wide variety of different types, and there are bigger and smaller ones. When I saw my rabbit snail taking bites out of my java fern, it went super quick. In smaller aquariums or with large numbers they will need to be fed extra food. Definitely do not starve my snails. They are great at eating soft algae, dead plant matter and leftover food, but they can multiply quickly, especially in aquariums that have a lot of organic debris. Other variants, such as pink, yellow or blue are also available. One afternoon I looked at my aquarium and noticed something had been munching on my java fern! Just like many of you, I started with two goldfish but quickly learned they were not suitable for aquariums. They are herbivorous in nature but eat fish food when given. Apple snails are voracious eaters known for eating large amounts of food and can destroy crops of taro and rice. In fact, these snails … They are parthenogenetic – not hermaphroditic – meaning females can give birth to more females without requiring contact with a male. They will also eat algae, though they generally leave plants alone. They love to crawl out of the water, so make sure you have a secure lid on your tank! I asked... Hi there! I honestly think they eat better then I do sometimes ans trust me when I say that my big Apple snail will turn my planted tank into salad bar. They eat soft algae, dead plant matter and make great scavengers in peaceful community tanks. Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) and ramshorn snails are prone to doing this. To prevent populations from getting out of control, keep organic debris to a minimum by doing regular water changes, vacuuming debris and feeding sparingly. An Anubias plant should not be planted in the substrate like other plants, but should rather be stuck to a rock or piece of wood. They are gonochoristic, so if you want to breed them, you should start with at least 5 or 6 to make sure you have males and females. This article will touch more on this below. Some of the snails that accept lettuce, cucumber and other green vegetables are mytery snails, ramshorn snails and apple snails but to be honest, you just have to try it for yourself! These peaceful snails live 3 to 4 years, grow to a little over 1½ inch in diameter and are valued for their bright colors and algae eating ability. Many types of snails are known to share their shells with leaches, planarians and other nasty customers. They are omnivores, feeding on algae, dead plant material, detritus and uneaten fish food. A secure lid should be used to prevent them from climbing out of the tank. Ramshorn snails have been in the aquarium hobby longer than almost any other type of snail. Will all snails eat dead plants? In my experience, healthy plants will grow new leaves over time. Few snails use their mucus to trap random particles to filter them and eat. A friend told me that's not the case, but I had to find out when to add fish to a... How Long Do Pet Fish Live (If You Take Good Care Of Them). Feed your fish less to control the amount of food and waste available to snails. Most snails that hitchhike into your aquarium (and often considered pest snails) do not eat healthy leaves. You can feed them common vegetables and fish food. They will sometimes snack, lightly, on a few floaters. How often do common aquarium snail types lay eggs? Amongst the plant eating snails are rabbit snails and some bigger apple snail species. The most common ways unwanted snails enter our aquariums accidentally are via eggs or juveniles hitchhiking on plants or decorations, or in gravel cultures transferred from one tank to another. Certain species of fish, including loaches, catfish, cichlids and puffers eat snails, and they can be an effective way of lowering nuisance snail populations. When buying Japanese Trapdoor Snails look for specimens appearing healthy and active in the display tank. The estimated lifespan of aquarium fish is not something I thought about when I first got aquarium fish. Becoming more active at higher temperatures, Apple snails will eat more, move more and grow more. Nuisance snails have an uncanny knack for making their way into aquariums, and once they are there, it can be extremely difficult to eliminate them. Red Ramshorns are red, as their name suggests, while Great Ramshorns are typically olive-yellow to brown, with stripes on the shell. The amount of eggs differs per species. To add to the problem, nuisance snails are virtually impossible to eradicate once they are in your aquarium. If you are more of a “naturalist”, feed your snails blanched kale, spinach, Chinese cabbage, green beans or broccoli, as these vegetables are all rich in calcium. Jan 20, 2017. Examples are most stem plants, some types of crypts and from my own experience: java ferns (for rabbit snails). They will indeed eat it and therefore a lot of people reference to their snails as their “clean-up crew”. In this article, we will look at the different types of freshwater snails and how to properly care for or avoid them. I am not aware of any easy system to differentiate the two types on the basis of their morphology, although I suppose that different behavior corresponds to different species. The Apple Snail is a very simple and reliable species that anyone can take care of. Most apple snails are plant eaters that eat a wide range of vegetation. They do best in aquariums of 20 gallons or larger and prefer warmer temperatures (76° - 84°F) and slightly alkaline water with pH 7.8 – 8.4. They eat leftover food, rotting plants, fish bodies. On the positive side, MTS forage in the substrate by day, keeping it aerated and breaking down any organic debris and waste that accumulates there, preventing anaerobic conditions which can release deadly hydrogen sulfide gas from developing. Do aquarium snails eat live aquarium plants? There are times however, when all other resources are scarce and the snails will choose healthy leaves for dinner. Because the stock in my aquarium consisted of a bunch of tetra’s, a bristle-nose catfish and some rabbit snails I had quickly drawn the conclusion that it probably not were the tetra’s. Seeing hundreds, if not thousands of these little beasts taking over your tank can be unnerving, and they can place a burden on biological filtration as well as clog filter intake tubes. Assassin snails are known to breed in captivity. AquariumGenius.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Soak décor items from other tanks in bleach water or scrub them thoroughly before placing them in your aquarium. Test water chemistry regularly to make sure you are providing the right conditions for all your aquatic pets. They’re great algae-eaters and will spend most of their time scavenging and avoiding other animals in your aquarium. Most other water treatments are safe to use in the presence of aquarium snails. Many pond keepers have mistakenly put apple snails in their ponds to control algae, and seen just how much damage these animals can do to emergent plants. Since they are voracious eaters, they are used by many breeders in breeding tanks and large fish rearing tanks to eat unwanted settled down food wastes. A plant is rather strong, so when a snail partially eats the plant it will not die super easy. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'aquariumgenius_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',109,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'aquariumgenius_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_4',109,'0','1'])); On various forums I heard that both Nerite snails and Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) are not a problem to keep with live plants. They are relatively small, they don’t eat plants and their waste contains bacteria that is beneficial to the digestive tracts of shrimp, making them perfect for planted aquariums and shrimp tanks. Use snail-killing products. To some hobbyists they are a valued scavenger, while others consider them a pest. Japanese Trapdoor Snails should be stuck on hard surfaces or moving across the tank bottom. Ironically, one way of dealing with unwanted snail outbreaks is to introduce a species of snail that eats other snails! It is pretty much impossible to eradicate MTS entirely once they are in your aquarium but cutting back on feeding and vacuuming the substrate regularly will deprive these snails of their food source and keep their numbers down. This is rather popular amongst snail keepers, and a great way to provide your snail with a more varied diet than just algae. In my opinion it is clear that some snails sold as apple or mystery snails do not eat plants normally, while others do it voraciously. They like to burrow in the substrate but quickly come out for food. Aquarium Plants Evil Snail Eating My Anubias! They feed on living or dead plant matter as well as microbe colonies and algae. Babies hatch out in 2 to 3 weeks, depending on temperature, and drop into the water. Babies are usually born one at a time, although occasionally two or even three are encased. There really are no “bad” snails, but a few species can multiply unchecked and overrun an aquarium. Instead, it's something that came up at random one day and I did not know the answer. These are larger aquatic snails with bright golden color. Scientists have described two species popular in the aquarium industry – Pomacea bridgesii and Pomacea diffusa, with P. diffusa thought to be the most common one. Most common aquarium snails are freshwater snails – this include nerites, mystery snails and apple snails.. Like sea snails, most freshwater snails are grazers. Some aquarists mix crushed coral into the gravel or place coral in their filters to achieve the correct water chemistry. Mystery snails are the ones commonly for sale (P. diffusa)I know for a fact that they don't eat amazon sword or java moss, I've currently got about 10 snails with those. Nerite snails have a trap door, which is used to protect themselves, but somehow to pleco has managed to suck out that door and managed to eat the nerite as well. Great Ramshorn snails are usually introduced intentionally into aquariums to control algae and help keep the tank clean, but Red Ramshorns often appear spontaneously. To be sure, they are prolific. Some years ago I got interested in aquariums and have learned so much, and I want to share it all with you. link to When To Add Fish To a New Planted Tank (With Special Cycle), link to How Long Do Pet Fish Live (If You Take Good Care Of Them), What to do if You See Your Snail Eating From Your Plants. Snails are part of nature, and as such, they can be a valuable and interesting addition to an aquarium. Now there are a couple of things to consider, are you going to keep your snail with your plants and risk your plants getting eaten, or are you going to move your snail or your plants. Pond snails can be kept with peaceful community fish and make great scavengers in shrimp tanks. You can also place a little crushed coral in your filter, add liquid calcium to the aquarium, or even feed your snails Zilla Aquatic Turtle Food to make sure they’re getting enough calcium. My name is Bart and welcome to my website. You could definitely raise apple snails to feed to your turtle, though how many you could keep in an aquarium is dependent on how large the aquarium is. Do aquarium snails eat live aquarium plants? Snails are not very fussy when it comes to their water parameters, but it is important to maintain healthy conditions in their aquarium by feeding sparingly, doing regular water changes and maintaining good filtration. These snails are actually rather beneficial for your plants, as nerite snails are considered to be one of the best algae eating snails in the hobby and MTS are known to dig around and aerate the substrate. Share. Nerites (Neritina spp.) There is only one way snails get into our aquariums – we put them there. The one trap that you want to avoid when taking care of an Anubias plant, is to plant the roots in the substrate. There is no doubt that these snails can make short work of an infestation of pest snails. Genuine Mystery, or Apple snails, Pomacea diffusa, don't eat most plants. Snails – and shrimp – need an ample supply of calcium for healthy shell growth, so if you use reverse osmosis or deionized water, add Aqueon Water Renewal to replenish essential minerals and trace elements. Trust me when I say that it can be super annoying to find out your snails have been eating from the plants in your planted tank. LinkBack: Thread Tools: Display Modes: 03-26-2008, 12:41 PM ... For those of you who keep DPs, how do you think they would get along with an apple snail? One type, the Malaysian Trumpet Snail (MTS), burrows in the sand or gravel looking for food, and in doing so, they keep the substrate clean and prevent it from compacting and becoming anaerobic. It is a common plant and chances are high you either own some or have heard about them. The Top 5 Most Popular Species . The assassin snails, also commonly called Clea helena are a freshwater snail … Applesnail.net says that there's a good chance that the bridgesii type are the ones typically sold in stores...however I don't want one to clean out my tank overnight. Appel snails are native to South America but have become an invasive species in some US states and Asian … ), are rapidly becoming an aquarium favorite due to their larger size, interesting colors and “rabbit-like” faces. Because they eat live plants as well as algae, overpopulation from overfeeding can be problematic. Mine take the odd leaf from salvinia minima or duckweed, and I suspect the odd nibble of the frogbit. MTS are known to live in buckets of used gravel for over a year! Rabbit snails are gonochoristic and give birth to live, fully developed young, that are enclosed in a milky white egg pod. Apple snails are available in a variety of colors and they can grow as large as 6 inches, though that is fairly uncommon in the home aquarium. Similarly, snails can act as important vectors for disease organisms. For the most part, freshwater aquatic snails are hardy creatures that thrive in the same water parameters as most aquarium fish, making them easy to keep and compatible with a wide variety of fish and invertebrate species. Assassin snails (Clea helena) are native to southeast Asia. Some species of snails definitely do fancy a fresh aquatic leaf. Juveniles of red ramshorns and pond snails can be very tiny and hide easily, especially in fine-leaved plants. It takes a couple of weeks for the eggs to hatch. Virtually all problems with snails can be avoided by understanding them, knowing how to avoid accidentally introducing them to your tank and doing adequate research to make sure you buy the right snails for your aquarium. You see, the exact type of food a snail will eat depends on the species and there are some that will eat both plants, snails, and other animals. Introduce Assassin snails to eat your nuisance snails. Depending on your outlook, these small, cone-shaped snails can be the best scavenger known to aquarium keeping or the most despised creature on earth. Inspect used gravel thoroughly before placing it in your tank. More on this in a coming subheading.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'aquariumgenius_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_8',110,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'aquariumgenius_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_9',110,'0','1'])); In my case, I did nothing when I saw my rabbit snail eating from my java fern. Member. They're scavengers! The two most common species in the aquarium trade are Planorbella duryi, the Red Ramshorn and Planorbarius corneus, a larger species known as the Great Ramshorn. The main food that apple snails consume is aquatic plants. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. They come in different colors and patterns, including one with horns! Another thing you can do to prevent your snails from eating your live plants is making sure you own plants that snails do not fancy. They do not need to eat snails. Apple Snails – This is the most popular type of beneficial snail for the freshwater aquarium. They are thought to live at least 3 years, but there are reports of 5 years from hobbyists. Their bright colors, intricate patterns and unusual shapes make several snail species ideal candidates for aquariums of all types and sizes. However, the majority of apple snails in the aquarium industry make great aquarium scavengers and usually leave plants alone. This will obviously not prevent him for doing so again, but you should also feed your tank. So how could you encourage snails to eat other things over your live plants? True Apple snails (p. Canaliculata and a … Mystery snails have gills as well as a lung, with a sort of siphon tube that allows them to breathe air by coming to the surface. Therefore it is super critical that you know what snails and what plants you can add to your fish tank to minimize the losses.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'aquariumgenius_com-box-3','ezslot_13',108,'0','0'])); Before we jump straight into the content of this article, I want to point you towards this Youtube video I created for you. Thread starter; Thread Starter #13 OP . are fantastic algae eaters that also eat leftover fish food, … They are among the most beautiful of all aquarium snails. Most grow to an inch or less and are olive-green to speckled brown in color. In addition, the female must be able to leave the water to deposit her eggs, which appear as a honeycomb-like cluster on the tank wall above the water line or attached to the underside of the lid. After that, my pleco tried to eat the nerite snails. They are also known to eat soft-leafed plants when food is scarce. Apple snails have also caused damage to crops in certain parts of the world after being inadvertently introduced into the wild. You should try what your snails like, I have heard people feeding green beans, cucumber, zucchini, romaine lettuce, spinach and carrots. For these reasons, they make excellent scavengers for planted aquariums, shrimp tanks and aquariums that are heavily stocked or fed generously. are a type of apple snail and are among the most popular in the aquarium hobby. You could feed lettuce for example! Some aquarists use them to help keep fry-rearing or shrimp tanks clean, while others consider them a pest that should be eliminated at any cost. Rabbit snails feed on soft algae, dead plant matter and other detritus, but they will also eat sinking pellets, algae wafers and other fish foods that fall to the bottom. Basically whatever is sitting around in your tank. A relatively recent addition to the hobby, Rabbit snails (Tylomelania spp. More recently, aquarists seek snails as unique pets. Any input would be appreciated. Nerites (Neritina spp.) I think I should have been feeding more in the days before. Soak live plants in a solution of 2 to 3 tablespoons of Alum powder per gallon of water or quarantine them for. If you prefer me explaining this over reading it than give it a go. I have been keeping multiple aquariums since I was 18 years old. Assassin snails and rabbit snails breed slowly while pond snails, ramshorn snails and malaysian trumpet snails can breed each month. I looked at forums and a variety of Facebook groups where I have asked the question to a lot of experienced snail keepers. Sometimes called Inca snails, Mystery snails (Pomacea spp.) Breeding is not difficult; mystery snails are gonochoristic, meaning you need a boy and a girl for it to happen. To […] Most of the times a snail infestation or a massive snail population increase is due to overfeeding. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, and despite popular belief, not all snails are prolific breeders that will overpopulate your aquarium, although a few types can and do. Some species of snails definitely do fancy a fresh aquatic leaf. Amongst the plant eating snails are rabbit snails and some bigger apple snail species. It can be hard to keep your vegetables from floating, so you can weight them down. Vacuum gravel regularly and siphon out dead plant material and detritus to eliminate their food supply. Most aquatic snails are great at getting rid of algae and consuming uneaten food, dead plant matter and other detritus that accumulates in the aquarium. They include, Nerites; Mystery snails; Apple snails; Assassin snails; They eat algae, plants, bacteria on the rocks, and detritus. Always take them out after a couple of days, otherwise it will become a source of toxic ammonia. What I should have done, and what you should do when you see a snail enjoying supper, is to pick him up and place him somewhere else in the tank. "apple snails" eat plants. Make sure there is enough other food for your snails to eat in your aquarium. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'aquariumgenius_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_12',113,'0','0'])); Can plants recover when they are partly eaten by snails? I was worried that they might eat my plants, and from experience I can say that pest snails do not eat your plants. At the time my primary concern were the so called “pest” snails that entered my aquarium and suddenly were everywhere I could look. They usually do not bother live plants, but they are known to reproduce rapidly when an ample food supply is present. The apple snails couldn’t stand a chance. In addition, a mass die-off of snails can over-burden your filter and cause ammonia and nitrite levels to rise. However, they will not eat their own kind even when other food is in short supply. A couple of years ago when I first got an aquarium, I thought you could add fish to a planted tank straight away. — Assassin Snail. Their dark green leaves are strong and not attractive for snails looking for a tender juicy leaf. When it comes to multiplying, the Malaysian Trumpet Snail (MTS), Melanoides tuburculata, has few rivals. A sudden population explosion is often a result of detritus and organic waste building up in the aquarium. Ramshorns are air-breathers, making it necessary for them to come to the surface to breathe. Always research fish before purchasing them to make sure they are suitable for your tank size and compatible with its residents. Always read package instructions and ingredient lists before using any treatment in your aquarium. They do not bother plants, however, there are anecdotal reports of them nibbling on Java Fern. The largest concern with the apple snails -- apart from how quickly they reproduce -- is that the large snails feed mostly on aquatic vegetation, which they can wipe out if … The problem with chemical treatments is that some are harmful, if not lethal, to plants, shrimp, other invertebrates and certain sensitive fish, so they will have to be removed if you choose this method. Physically remove snails by picking them out by hand, using a snail trap or baiting them. Several species fall under the term “pond snails”. I personally love my snails so for me moving them was not an option. They grow to about 1 inch in length and have alternating yellow and dark brown “bumble bee” stripes. Bodies are usually black or pinkish-orange with neon orange spots around the head area. Nerite snails are not difficult to breed, but the larvae require brackish or saltwater to develop, so there is little risk of them overrunning an aquarium. In general, snails are super good in finding leftover food and dead organic material. Apparently mystery snails are just apple snails that don't eat plants or get as big so I dunno what to say!